Station/Boat Location~
Station Cape Charles
Date there~
6/2008- Current
Weather~
We get all four seasons. Winter is very mild and it gets warm pretty early on and summer can get very hot.
Military facilities~
You have to drive across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel ($17 round trip) or all the way to Chincoteague, VA.
Medical~
Riverside Shore Memorial hospital is about 25 minutes away and our kids go to Franktown in Exmore.
Housing~
They got rid of the housing and everyone is on the economy. We rent a condo next to Kiptopeke State Park that we love. We originally lived in Belle Haven and didn't like being so isolated. Some people rent in Cape Charles/Cheriton/Exmore (just be careful with the older houses because the heating bills can be high) and some live in the Virginia Beach area (just remember the toll and it's about 45+ mins away depending where you live) where housing is higher but the job market is much better and you have access to everything you need without driving far.
Shopping~
There are a lot of neat mom and pop shops in Cape Charles, many art studios, a Food Lion, and a Dollar General. If you drive about 25 minutes to Exmore they have a bigger selection and there is a Walmart 45 minutes away in Onley. Onancock has a lot of stores, great hair salon (Vanity Hair) and restaurants. If you go across the bay they have everything!
Child Care/Schools~
My kids aren't in school yet but I've heard bad things about the public school system from both teachers and parents, especially the high school. There is a private school, Broadwater Academy and Cape Charles Christian school which seem to be better choices. I've never used child care but there are day cares in the area.
Adult Schools~
Eastern Shore Community College is about 40 minutes away. I finished my associate's degree there and loved it, the teachers care about their students and are great teachers.
Fun Activities~
Beach- it is the bay so it is calm, shallow and perfect for little kids, fishing, kayaking, jet skis, golf is pretty big here, we go to the playgrounds a lot, biking, Kiptopeke has some trails, the MOPS group in the area has meetings and play dates if you have kids, they youth and adult sports teams, there are two bars on the water that are fun in the summer but besides that the night life is boring, the town has a couple of festivals every year, and there are a few good restaurants.
Additional Info~
I really did not like Cape Charles for the first year we were here but that had a lot to do with where we lived and adjusting to living in the country. It definitely takes getting used to if you are coming from a city, be prepared for lots of bugs in the summer and mice in the winter if you live near a field. I grew to love it and most of the people are very friendly and we've made some great friends. I think it's a great place for young kids and my boys really enjoy playing outside so it's perfect but I wouldn't want them to attend the public school here. One big plus is no traffic! Cape Charles is very beautiful, but it is in the middle of nowhere so if you need to be near stores I'd recommend living across the bay. Decent jobs can be hard to find here.
Cape Charles official website
Local paper
Search engine for rentals (CC is in Northampton county)
Homeport VA
Station Cape Charles
Date there~
6/2008- Current
Weather~
We get all four seasons. Winter is very mild and it gets warm pretty early on and summer can get very hot.
Military facilities~
You have to drive across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel ($17 round trip) or all the way to Chincoteague, VA.
Medical~
Riverside Shore Memorial hospital is about 25 minutes away and our kids go to Franktown in Exmore.
Housing~
They got rid of the housing and everyone is on the economy. We rent a condo next to Kiptopeke State Park that we love. We originally lived in Belle Haven and didn't like being so isolated. Some people rent in Cape Charles/Cheriton/Exmore (just be careful with the older houses because the heating bills can be high) and some live in the Virginia Beach area (just remember the toll and it's about 45+ mins away depending where you live) where housing is higher but the job market is much better and you have access to everything you need without driving far.
Shopping~
There are a lot of neat mom and pop shops in Cape Charles, many art studios, a Food Lion, and a Dollar General. If you drive about 25 minutes to Exmore they have a bigger selection and there is a Walmart 45 minutes away in Onley. Onancock has a lot of stores, great hair salon (Vanity Hair) and restaurants. If you go across the bay they have everything!
Child Care/Schools~
My kids aren't in school yet but I've heard bad things about the public school system from both teachers and parents, especially the high school. There is a private school, Broadwater Academy and Cape Charles Christian school which seem to be better choices. I've never used child care but there are day cares in the area.
Adult Schools~
Eastern Shore Community College is about 40 minutes away. I finished my associate's degree there and loved it, the teachers care about their students and are great teachers.
Fun Activities~
Beach- it is the bay so it is calm, shallow and perfect for little kids, fishing, kayaking, jet skis, golf is pretty big here, we go to the playgrounds a lot, biking, Kiptopeke has some trails, the MOPS group in the area has meetings and play dates if you have kids, they youth and adult sports teams, there are two bars on the water that are fun in the summer but besides that the night life is boring, the town has a couple of festivals every year, and there are a few good restaurants.
Additional Info~
I really did not like Cape Charles for the first year we were here but that had a lot to do with where we lived and adjusting to living in the country. It definitely takes getting used to if you are coming from a city, be prepared for lots of bugs in the summer and mice in the winter if you live near a field. I grew to love it and most of the people are very friendly and we've made some great friends. I think it's a great place for young kids and my boys really enjoy playing outside so it's perfect but I wouldn't want them to attend the public school here. One big plus is no traffic! Cape Charles is very beautiful, but it is in the middle of nowhere so if you need to be near stores I'd recommend living across the bay. Decent jobs can be hard to find here.
Cape Charles official website
Local paper
Search engine for rentals (CC is in Northampton county)
Homeport VA
